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Patrick Zeng NBC Sports The day we've all been waiting for is finally here. Villanova basketball is back. The Wildcats returned to action with a 75-60 victory over the Columbia Lions of the Ivy League on Friday night. Villanova played their first of twelve games at the Wells Fargo Center, their home for the season until the Finneran Pavilion is completed on campus. And just like the student turnout, the play from the Wildcats did not disappoint. This is a different Villanova team. Gone are the familiar faces of Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Darryl Reynolds, but the new additions should be more than enough to replace those three icons. Jay Wright likes to play small ball, often using four guards on the court at the same time. But this Nova team allows a different style of play and it was fun to watch. Wright set the tone with a starting five that included Mikal Bridges, Eric Paschall and Omari Spellman. The Dobbs Ferry, New York product in Paschall thrived in his expand...

Patrick Zeng @Roundtripper891 SI Jalen Brunson said it best in his tweet that today "heaven gained a legend". This afternoon at age 82, coach Massimino passed away after a long standing battle with lung cancer. His legacy, especially at Villanova cannot be understated. Without coach Mass, Villanova basketball would not be as we know it today. In 1973, when Rollie Massimino was hired, he started to lay the groundwork for what would be one of the greatest upsets to ever occur 12 years later. It only took two years of building for Massimino to turn the program around from the 11-14 season it had suffered the year before Massimino's arrival to a point where the Wildcats ripped off 11 consecutive winning seasons. Coach Mass helped establish Villanova for what it is now. He was famous for having his players over for Italian family dinners to create a bond and togetherness that is now so often referenced as a part of Villanovan culture. He was a star member of th...

Patrick Zeng @Roundtripper891 Fast Philly Sports Booth is back! Jon Rothstein( @JonRothstein ) has reported that Villanova guard Phil Booth has finally been cleared to resume basketball activity. Booth only played three games his junior season due to lingering knee pain that had him shut down for the season. His last game came on November 17th against Western Michigan. Booth only took part in 72 minutes this past season averaging 5.7 points, 2 assist and 1.6 rebounds. Booth's return should be seen as great news as he adds experience and a solid skill set to the current crop of Nova guards. Booth will join Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo as well as newcomer Collin Gillespie in the backcourt for the 2017/2018 season.  Phil was a starter at the beginning of this season so it will be interesting to see where he fits in after the rise of DiVincenzo. Jay Wright may be inclined to form a veteran backcourt of Booth with Brunson as the starters to keep Donte in the role he excelled...

By Patrick Zeng @ Roundtripper891  📸: Bleacher Report With the draft having happened and NBA free agency being in full swing, a few Villanova Wildcats have been in the news of late. Having already discussed Josh Hart's arrival to Hollywood( Here ), it's time to take a look at what's happened to fellow Nova alums so far this summer. The man that hit possibly the most iconic shot in college basketball history is heading home. Kris Jenkins, a product of Gonzaga high school in the nation's capital, signed with the Washington Wizards last week as an undrafted free agent. Jenkins is coming off a season where he didn't quite hit expectations for the Cats after his unbelievable play in the 2016 postseason tournaments. Jenkins averaged 13.1 ppg and 4.1 rpg as well as 36% from three during his senior season. He'll have an outside chance at making the roster along with fellow 2016 national champion Daniel Ochefu with a strong showing in the summer league. Jenkin...

By Patrick Zeng  @Roundtripper891 📸: @coleswider21 "It's a great day to be a wildcat" is often uttered by Jay Wright through his awesome twitter account(@ vucoachjwright ) and while that sentiment is always true, it has extra meaning today. The Wildcats got their man in 6'8"  combo forward Cole Swider out of Rhode Island on Friday afternoon. Swider is Villanova's second commitment for the incoming class of 2018 following Brandon Slater's commitment a month prior. Swider is a fantastic grab for Jay Wright's squad as he was able to beat the likes of Duke, Syracuse and fellow big east rival Xavier for his commitment. Cole comes in at #48 on the ESPN top 100 with fellow commit Slater edging him at #47. Swider will fit nicely into a projected core of Omari Spellman, Jermaine Samuels, Donte Divincenzo and Eric Paschall as well as possibly Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges depending in their NBA decisions. 📸: Business Insider In Swider, No...